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I AM also sorely disappointed with the effectiveness of the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection, whose leadership insisted, contrary to common sense, to base its case on the contention that existing corridors must be used for environmental reasons—with no other alternative route to fall back on. RLEP also refused to hit hard at Vepco’s most obvious weakness—the startling fact electric demand is down so dramatically; and finally, I cannot understand the position taken by RLEP’s president, Phil Irwin, that House Bill 664, which was adopted a year or so ago, is a good bill—a measure that takes away from Rappahannock and other counties their right to act on applications of utilities for construction transmission lines within their territories. Were it not for the quick passage and signing of this bill last year, we could now take steps to block the line locally could understand Vepco’s strong support of this very bad bill, but I cannot comprehend Mr. Irwin’s view that it is a good thing.
Of course we can appeal the decision to the State Supreme Court, and on my motion some months ago, the RLEP approved such an appeal. But as Irwin has often pointed out, such appeals are virtually useless. Our RLEP lawyers already have been paid over $50,000, and such an appeal, which I still favor, would cost a few thousand more.
What we will have for all this money, when the case is lost and closed, is the faded remnants of all those rosy, empty predictions that we will win—and the start of the erection of those massive, vulturish steel towers to forever remind us of the greed and the folly and the shortsightedness of little men.D
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